Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers Vetoes Porn Age Verification Bill, Defying National Trend

While a wave of state laws forces Americans to submit government IDs or biometric scans to access adult content online, Wisconsin has become a notable exception. Governor Tony Evers vetoed Assembly Bill 105, a state-level age verification mandate, allowing residents to continue accessing pornographic and other adult-oriented websites without new digital checkpoints. This move directly counters a legislative trend that has swept across the U.S. since 2022, positioning Wisconsin as a holdout against a rapidly expanding model of online age-gating.

The vetoed bill, a copycat of measures passed in states like Louisiana and Texas, would have required any website with more than one-third "material harmful to minors" to deploy "commercially reasonable" age verification. This broad definition covered depictions of sexual acts or specific body parts. Compliance would have forced users to choose from invasive methods: uploading a government-issued ID, submitting to a facial biometric scan, providing credit card information, or a combination of these data points.

Governor Evers's veto statement, which called the bill "overly broad and difficult to enforce," signals a significant political and practical pushback. The decision creates a stark jurisdictional contrast, placing Wisconsin alongside a shrinking number of states without such mandates. It relieves immediate pressure on adult websites and their users within the state but also highlights the fragmented and contentious national landscape surrounding digital privacy, free speech, and the enforcement of age restrictions online.